Title: The 27th of November
Pairing: Chanyeol/Baekhyun
Rating: G
Genre: Fluff
Summary: It's the 27th of November and Baekhyun forgot Chanyeol's birthday.
(A/N: This is late but because of my overflowing Chanbaek feels and my craving for Chanbaek, this is the result.
Enjoy reading!)
*
Chanyeol opens his eyelids as he yawns, seeing the glow-in-the-dark star stickers pasted on his ceiling. He grins and mentally greets himself a Happy Birthday to the most handsome guy on earth! Rubbing his eyes, he shoots up on the bed and heads to the window excitedly, opening it widely so that the fresh morning breeze would enter his room. The sweet chirping of the birds has heart feeling delighted, and so he closes his eyes, smiling, thanking God for another year He has given for him to live and enjoy.
"Happy Birthday to me. Thank you for everything."
He's thankful for his many talents.
He's thankful for his good looks.
He's thankful for his impressive height.
He's thankful for his sexy guns and abs.
He's thankful for his Mom who brought him to the world.
"Ah, what a good feeling." Chanyeol smiles for the last time and goes to the bathroom to take a bath before facing a brand new day.
*
"Happy Birthday, Chanyeol!!!"
A wide smile graces the birthday boy's lips, seeing all of his seven members sans Baekhyun, inside the practice room, wearing party hats. Sehun is holding the birthday cake, Jongin the party pooper, Jongdae and Yixing a big present while Junmyeon and Minseok paperbags. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo holds the knife (for the cake, not for the celebrant, of course.)
Chanyeol's day is almost complete, except when he notices somebody is missing...
"Where's Baekhyun?" he asks, furrowing his eyebrows slightly.
"He's still sleeping," Kyungsoo answers for him. "We tried waking him up, but he's not budging at all. He's completely passed out."
"Must be the concert," Sehun says, shrugging helplessly. "He's really drained out of energy. He was too hyperactive last night, as you have noticed."
Chanyeol nods, a little bit disappointed. "Oh, I see." He recovers a smile and points at the cake.
"So, let's eat?"
*
They have just finished eating, and the members go to their respective individual activities-- filming, guesting, practice, meeting, and whatsoever. Chanyeol goes back to their dorm to prepare his luggage-- a coat and a jacket, a bag of chips, his rilakkuma stuff toy, some Nature Republic cosmetics, a picture frame (of Baekhyun, don't tell him) and his cellphone charger. He has to catch a flight to Shanghai, as usual.
Like the other members, Chanyeol has his own schedules too, but the company allowed him to rest for a while before he holds his birthday event for the fans later after his filming.
Getting his phone perched on the table, he navigates Instagram, takes a selca of himself doing his famous V-sign, and uploads it with a caption, "Thank you EXO-L's! I love you! Happy Birthday to me, Happy Virus!" In an instant, there's already a thousand notifications bombarding his phone so he lets it there and smiles to himself.
Chanyeol receives a video call from his Mom, Dad and sister, wishing him a happy birthday. They tell him they miss him so much, so Chanyeol assures them he'll visit them after their Winter Album is released. He closes his laptop with a sigh, smile never leaving his lips. How he wishes he has 48 hours a day to do his personal affairs.
The opening of the door to his right has his head turning around, seeing Baekhyun clad in blue pajamas walking out of his room. Chanyeol smiles expectantly, watching how the singer stumbles to his feet as he reaches the kitchen to get some warm milk.
"Hey," is Baekhyun's first greeting.
Chanyeol waits, lifting an eyebrow. "Hey."
"Good morning."
"And?"
Baekhyun blinks, sipping a few gulps of his milk before saying, "And what?"
As if they were in a staring competition, Chanyeol never leaves Baekhyun's eyes, looking at him intently until he says the magic words. He didn't just forget his birthday, did he?
"Seriously, you're creeping me out," Baekhyun mutters, nonchalantly waving his pretty hand in front of the taller's face. "Stop staring, I lose." He wipes his lips with the back of his hand and grabs a seat in front of Chanyeol.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Quietly, Baekhyun smiles.
And Chanyeol is far from being amused.
"Oh, there's a cake."
"Yes, there's a cake. And then?"
Baekhyun pokes the vanilla icing on top of the half-eaten chocolate velvet cake, putting his finger inside his mouth to suck it.
"Can I eat it?"
"Do you know what day it is today?" Chanyeol starts, glaring at an eating Baekhyun who seems too disinterested about what Chanyeol is talking about.
"Today?" Baekhyun shoves a forkful of cake inside his mouth. "Hmm... I don't know--"
"It's my--"
"Ah! Today is Friday, I think?"
Sighing, Chanyeol rolls his eyes and mumbles, "Forget it."
"Chanyeol."
"What?"
"You want some?" Baekhyun asks, thrusting a piece of chocolate cake past Chanyeol's lips. "Say ahh~!"
Chanyeol opens his mouth and accepts it anyway, half-heartedly smiling at Baekhyun who has the nerve to forget why they are eating a cake in the first place.
"Good?"
"Mm," Chanyeol answers with a low groan when Baekhyun grins, taking the whole cake for himself as he heads to the living room.
"Hey. That's mine," he mutters but Baekhyun ignores him, too busy eating the cake.
"I hate you," he says to himself, before grabbing his coat and luggage, walking out of the room without telling Baekhyun goodbye.
Baekhyun blinks at the door, and shrugs dismissively.
*
Shanghai.
Four hours later.
It has been four hours since Chanyeol opened his phone, glaring at it with his wide boring eyes like the screen would crack into pieces. Sehun had greeted him first on Kakaotalk and Instagram, so Chanyeol is hoping that maybe, just maybe, Baekhyun would do the same, too. In retrospect, he had greeted Baekhyun firstly before anyone else (bae) when it was his birthday, so Baekhyun should return the favor. He must return the favor because that is what best friends do, right?
But really, how can Baekhyun greet him if the latter doesn't have any idea what it is today, let alone why there was a cake. Chanyeol wonders if he could just tell Baekhyun hey greet me it's my birthday so he can stop sulking in the middle of his I Married an Anti-fan party. He's been distracted all along he can't even look at Mabel in the eyes properly, nor talk to her about stuff he couldn't care less.
Damn it, when is Baekhyun planning to greet him? A call, a text, or just 'HBD' will do. He is not that desperate, okay. It's just....he feels like so... Incomplete.
Bzzzt! Bzzzt!
Chanyeol almost dropped his vibrating phone due to shock. He excuses himself politely before heading to the restroom to take the call. Seeing his reflection on the mirror, he fixes his bowtie and clears his throat as if Baekhyun would see his appearance.
[Hello?]
"Why did you call? I'm busy," Chanyeol mumbles, voice a little bit disappointed yet excited at the same time. He's been waiting for this particular call since he arrived in China, honestly.
"Make it quick, Mabel is calling me."
Oh no, don't make it quick, Chanyeol says to himself mentally. He doesn't want to be stuck with that Chinese ahjumma anymore.
[Chanyeol?]
"What?" Chanyeol asks. "You could've just texted me."
[Sorry.]
"For what?"
[I forgot..]
"You forgot what?"
[Uhm...]
"What is it?"
A little smile sits on Chanyeol's curved lips until it grows bigger and bigger with every seconds passing by. Baekhyun is on the other line, breathing, shuffling, or maybe fidgeting, Chanyeol doesn't really know, but he can already imagine a blushing Baekhyun with a phone against his ear.
"Baekhyun, you still there?"
[Yeah... Uhm. Are you mad at me?]
Smiling like an idiot, Chanyeol shakes his head slowly. "Why would I get mad at you?"
[Because I forgot...?]
Chanyeol chuckles heartily, rubbing his neck. "It's alright. I don't really mind, though. Not a problem." Liar. "At least now you remembered it's my--"
[Oh! So, is it okay if it's mine now? For real?]
"Huh?" Chanyeol mutters confusedly, leaning his back against the wall. "What are you talking about?"
[The hoodie.]
"What hoodie!?"
[I forgot to return your favorite hoodie. You told me you'd bring it to Shanghai, didn't you? So now I'm asking you if I could have it. Can I have it?]
Chanyeol's face falls.
[It's so comfy. Can I have it as a gift?]
It's my birthday!!! Chanyeol wants to shout out loud. He shouldn't be the one giving things because today is his birthday. Baekhyun is supposed to be the one giving him a gift or whatever. Groaning, Chanyeol slaps his forehead angrily.
[Jagii?]
"Don't you EVER call me that!" Chanyeol mutters loudly, gripping the phone hard. "And for the record, you can't have my hoodie!"
[But--]
"GOODBYE!"
Chanyeol storms out of the restroom, bumping against Mabel on the way but never helped the lady to get up.
*
Seoul.
Three hours later.
Chanyeol's head is throbbing. He just got back and went straight to SM building without having any rest, only the nap he had at the plane. He fishes his phone from his pocket, finding lots of unread messages from friends and relatives wishing him Happy Birthday, but none of them is from Baekhyun. He sighs tiredly and takes off his coat before sitting on the provided couch.
"Are you ready?" EXO's manager asks, peeking at the door as he holds a selfie stick. "The live broadcast will start in thirty minutes. Fans are waiting online right now."
"I'll be right there," Chanyeol mumbles and wills away the fatigue in his body. He just wants to sleep right now, or maybe cuddle with someone (whispers Baekhyun) who's really warm and fuzzy.
Two soft knocks on the door, and Chanyeol is turning his head to see the person he's been thinking of all day, right there, wearing the said hoodie in their last conversation. Baekhyun gives him a sheepish smile, before hesitantly walking a few steps towards him as if he's afraid Chanyeol would punch him on the face.
Baekhyun doesn't say anything, he's just silently standing there by the door. Chanyeol blinks, staring at him emotionless. He's too tired, too sleepy, too lazy to even move a little or open his mouth to speak. All he wants right now is this day to get finished so when he wakes up, it's November 28 already. Maybe he'll just take two bottles of energy drink so he would look alive and active later. He doesn't want to disappoint the fans. Yes, he'll just do that.
"Chanyeol."
Chanyeol's eyes are droopy. "Yeah?"
"Sorry, I forgot."
Chanyeol nods sluggishly, massaging his forehead as he talks. "It's alright. You can have it... It suits you."
"N-no, I mean," Baekhyun stutters looking away as he worries his bottom lip anxiously. "Well... I didn't mean it! I swear! I put it my calendar last year and I'm so dumb I forgot it..." He looks at Chanyeol again with his glassy eyes, feeling really frustrated with himself. So that is why everyone is busy around him while he's sleeping. So that is why there are many gifts at the dorm. So that is why there was cake.
He didn't know, he didn't even notice. How could he forget?
It's a special day after all.
"I have something to tell you."
"Yeah?"
"Ich liebe dich."
Chanyeol blinks confusedly. "What?"
Baekhyun smiles. "Happy Birthday, Chanyeol."
And he is walking over to the couch and hugs Chanyeol from behind. He has his arms wrapped around Chanyeol's neck while his chin is resting comfortably on top of the taller's shoulder. Chanyeol barely registers what is currently happening until he feels Baekhyun's warm breath ghosting across the side of his cheek, and Baekhyun's comforting weight around his back. His eyes widen, realizing that Baekhyun has just said Happy Birthday in an a ever so gentle voice, and he's hugging him right now.
Chanyeol is so happy he could shed tears.
"I'm sorry I forgot it's your birthday today..."
Baekhyun is too close in proximity that Chanyeol's heart is thumping wildly, like all the exhaustion and stress he has with him earlier dissipated all of a sudden. Baekhyun is just behind him, hugging him, whispering apologies, effortlessly existing, yet it has Chanyeol feeling very much rejuvenated.
It's funny it's just Baekhyun who can make him feel this way. It's just his mere presence that can make his life complete.
"I thought you won't remember..." Chanyeol manages to utter when he feels his tongue coming back to life. "I've waited all day for you to greet me."
"You could have told me to greet you."
"You know I'm not like that," Chanyeol says, stifling to blush when Baekhyun is staring at him two centimeters away from his face.
"What do you want for your birthday?" Baekhyun asks, tilting his head to the right. "But please don't suggest anything expensive, I'm on a tight budget right now. But if it would make you happy, then I think it's alright."
"Okay, I want a car, a house and lot, and a one-year supply of cheetos." Chanyeol grins. "How's that sound?"
"Tsh," Baekhyun laughs. "Well, that's pretty hard. Give me something easier."
"Okay. I want a kiss."
"What?"
Eyes widening, Chanyeol covers his mouth quickly and curses softly under his breath. "N-no, w-wait, I mean, I didn't mean it that way! I'm not--"
Baekhyun is just looking at him weirdly, and Chanyeol thinks that maybe he's getting crept out right now because who will ask their male best friend to kiss them? Damn it, that's so embarrassing.
"Forget about what I've said," the taller says, clearing his throat as he tries to be nonchalant. "You could just give me another cake since you already ate mine--"
Baekhyun kisses him on the cheek fast.
Smack!
"I don't have enough money to buy you a cake," Baekhyun says, grinning as he releases himself from backhugging the birthday boy. "So I think my kiss would be enough!"
Chanyeol is dumbly staring at nothingness, watching the door fluttering close behind Baekhyun, just like his fluttering heart inside his ribcage. Baekhyun's lips are still tingling on his skin, making him feel as if he were fully charged like a brand new battery. He is holding his kissed cheek with his right hand as he gradually smiles like an idiot, looking like a creepy serial killer.
"I think I won't be needing two bottles of energy drink now," he tells himself with a light chuckle.
(Ich liebe dich is I love you in German.)
*
END
(A/N: Baekhyun said "I love you" to Chanyeol in four different languages: English, Japanese, Korean and German during their first live broadcast on V-app on Chanyeol's birthday. ❤
I screamed and passed out and I was like asdfghjkl!)